Oversight

The industry-friendly Texas Railroad Commission would do abetter job of determining the fees the energy companies pay intothe state’s Oilfield Cleanup Fund — but it needs to beef up itsrole in regulating pipelines — according to a report by the TexasSunset Advisory Commission. Some of the criticisms noted areexpected to be corrected in pending proposals at TRC.

The industry-friendly Texas Railroad Commission would do abetter job of determining the fees the energy companies pay intothe state’s Oilfield Cleanup Fund — but it needs to beef up itsrole in regulating pipelines — according to a report by the TexasSunset Advisory Commission. Some of the criticisms noted areexpected to be corrected in pending proposals at TRC.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker last week proposed that state andfederal regulators work together to ensure that regionaltransmission organizations (RTOs) result in healthy regionalelectricity markets.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker last week proposed that state andfederal regulators work together to ensure that regionaltransmission organizations (RTOs) result in healthy regionalelectricity markets.

E-commerce services provider Automated Power Exchange Inc. (APX)said its new electronic power trading platform does not fall underthe FERC’s jurisdiction because it uses no price-settingmechanisms. The company challenged FERC over its jurisdiction ofelectronic power trading and said the recent denial of its courtpetition will have little impact on the Santa Clara, CA-basedcompany.

E-commerce services provider Automated Power Exchange Inc. (APX)said its new electronic power trading platform does not fall underthe FERC’s jurisdiction because it uses no price-settingmechanisms. The company challenged the FERC over its jurisdictionof power trading and said the recent denial of its petition willhave little impact on the Santa Clara, CA-based company.

On the heels of a spectacular discovery on its turf, Canada’sNorthwest Territories has tossed a red hot potato into the lap ofthe nation’s natural gas community. The government in Yellowknifeis calling on the National Energy Board to take control of the11,000-mile Nova pipeline grid’s tolls and development away fromthe Alberta government.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduledto hold an oversight hearing Thursday into the price spikes in theMidwest electricity market last June. A key witness will be FERCChairman James Hoecker, who is expected to disclose “some, if notall, of [FERC staff’s] analysis” of the events that lead up tounprecedented power prices.

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) isexpected to file a comprehensive plan today asking FERC to exertlighter handed regulation over all pipeline facilities in the Gulfof Mexico.